Slack adjuster contaminant sump, drain, and overload relief

Abstract

A drainage system for use with a slack adjuster for a railway brake rigging. The drainage system allows fluid and other contaminants to drain from the slack adjuster to prevent the fluid and contaminants from accumulating within the slack adjuster, contacting an operating area of the slack adjuster, and interfering with the operation of the slack adjuster. The slack adjuster includes a main housing portion, a cone nut housing portion enclosing a critical operating area of the slack adjuster, and an overtravel housing portion. The drainage system includes at least one aperture extending through a sidewall portion of the overtravel housing portion. The at least one aperture is configured to allow fluid and / or contaminants to drain there through to reduce exposure of the critical operating area to fluid and / or contaminants. A plug and / or patch can be provided to sealingly and / or removably engage the at least one aperture.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application is based upon U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 841,523 entitled Slack Adjuster Contaminant Sump, Drain, and Overload Relief, filed Jul. 1, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Field of the Invention[0003]The present disclosure is directed to a slack adjuster which automatically adjusts the slack in the brake rigging of a railway vehicle, and further particularly, to a slack adjuster including a drainage system through which fluid, such as water and other contaminants can drain to prevent the fluid and contaminants from accumulating within the slack adjuster, contacting the critical operating area of the slack adjuster, and interfering with the operation of the slack adjuster.[0004]Description of Related Art[0005]Slack adjuster assemblies have been employed in brake riggings to compensate for slack caused by wear induced in the brake pads, wheels, an...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a drainage system is provided for use with a slack adjuster for a railway brake rigging. The drainage system allows fluid, such as water and other contaminants, such as dirt and debris, to drain from the slack adjuster to prevent the fluid and contaminants from accumulating within the slack adjuster, contacting an operating area or a critical operating area of the slack adjuster, and interfering with the operation of the slack adjuster. The slack adjuster includes a main housing portion, a cone nut housing portion enclosing a critical operating area of the slack adjuster, and an overtravel housing portion. The drainage system includes at least one aperture extending through a sidewall portion of the overtravel housing portion. The at least one aperture is configured to allow fluid and / or contaminates to drain through this at least one aperture to reduce exposure of the critical operating area to fluid and / or contaminants.

[0011]The critical operating area includes components configured to operate together to adjust the brake rigging. According to one design, the critical operating area can include a cone nut, at least one bearing race assembly, and a conical spring, all of which are configured to cooperate together to change a length of the slack adjuster by changing a relative longitudinal position between the main housing portion and a rod member located within the main housing portion. It can be appreciated that other slack adjuster designs can include different components within this critical operating area which cooperate together to operate the slack adjuster and the drainage system of the disclosure can be utilized to drain fluid and / or contaminants from the slack adjuster and prevent these fluids and / or contaminants from interfering with the operation of the slack adjuster.

[0012]The drainage system can include at least one plug extending through the at least one aperture. It can be appreciated that the plug can be a standard plug that is shaped to sealingly engage the aperture. According to one embodiment, the plug can be a one-way valve. According to another embodiment, the plug can be a rounded, low-profile plug extending through the at least one aperture. The rounded, low-profile plug provides advantages in terms of stacking and shipping of the slack adjusters and has a less chance of being damaged or broken during shipping and / or use of the slack adjuster.

[0015]According to another embodiment, the drainage system can be formed as a one-piece overtravel housing portion that includes the apertures configured for cooperating with the plugs and / or one-way valves, formed directly in the sidewall of the overtravel housing portion. This particular design would eliminate the need for a separate plug housing, which would reduce manufacturing and assembly costs. An end portion of the overtravel housing portion can include a notch and / or a protrusion configured to matingly engage the opposite of a notch and / or protrusion on the cone nut housing portion. Alternatively, the end portion of the overtravel housing portion can include threads to threadedly engage the cone nut housing portion.

[0019]In accordance with another embodiment, a method is provided for preventing the accumulation of water and / or contaminants within a slack adjuster and for protecting a critical operating area of the slack adjuster. The slack adjuster has at least a main housing portion, a cone nut housing portion enclosing the critical operating area of the slack adjuster, and an overtravel housing portion. The method includes providing at least one aperture extending through a sidewall portion of the overtravel housing portion. The at least one aperture is configured to allow fluid and / or contaminates to drain therethrough to reduce exposure of the critical operating area to fluid and / or contaminants. The at least one aperture can include multiple apertures located about the cylindrical overtravel housing portion, wherein the apertures are configured to receive a plug, one-way valve, and / or a patch. According to one embodiment, the plug can be a rounded, low-profile member. After installation of the slack adjuster, the plug, one-way valve, or patch can be removed from one or more of the downwardly facing apertures to facilitate drainage of fluid and / or contaminants from the slack adjuster.

Problems solved by technology

This water and other contaminants from the environment can accumulate and become trapped within the critical operating area and near critical components of the slack adjuster, which can compromise the functioning of the slack adjuster.

However, when a slack adjuster is exposed to large amounts of water, this wiper seal can fail to block all of the water from entering into the critical operating area of the slack adjuster.

Thus, in these instances, water and contaminates may enter into the critical operating area and deleteriously effect the components located therein, resulting in faulty operation of the slack adjuster.

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